How to Brand a Line Graph in Excel: Explained Step-by-Step

Written by co-founder Kasper Langmann, Microsoft Office Specialist.

The line graph is one of the simplest graphs you tin can make in Excel. But that doesn't mean it's not one of the best.

The most effective visuals are often the simplest—and line charts (another name for the same graph) are some of the easiest to sympathise.

There's just a line. That's information technology.

The simplicity of the line graph is its greatest strength. Don't forget that.
Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Let'due south accept a look at why you should use a line chart, how to prepare your data for information technology, and how to make information technology in Excel!

*This tutorial is for Excel 2019/Microsoft 365 (for Windows). Got a different version? No problem, you can withal follow the exact same steps.

Free video on line graphs

Lookout man my video and learn how to insert and edit a line graph in just 4 minutes.

Prefer text over video? Then proceed below!

Why utilise a line graph?

Of all the visuals in Excel, why choose a line chart? Plenty of other charts show the aforementioned information, so why not use them?

Here are a few significant advantages of line graphs:

one. They show things over time very well.

Bar charts and column charts can show things over fourth dimension, but it's not intuitively articulate that the categories represent unlike temporal slices. On a line graph, people will meet this very quickly.

At that place are other good uses for line charts, but showing a value over time is i of the all-time.

2. They get in easy to run into multiple sets of data.

Amassed and stacked charts let you show a lot of data in a small space, simply they can be difficult to read. Using dissimilar-colored lines in a line graph is much clearer.

Yous can even prove interactions between values with this chart, which is great for complicated datasets.

three. Information technology's easy to read.

Line charts are simple. In fact, in their most basic form, they merely contain 1 affair: a line. You're going to exist hard-pressed to notice someone who doesn't sympathize the information yous present in a line chart.

Almost everyone is very familiar with these graphs, and that'southward a large advantage over more complicated options.

4. Boosted information is easy to see.

Error bars, data labels, trend lines, and other useful statistical notations are very clear on line graphs. They can be represented on other types of charts, but information technology's like shooting fish in a barrel for them to become obscured.

Line charts solve that problem by leaving a lot of white space for you to work with.

Now that you know why line charts are then useful, let's have a look at creating them in Excel!
Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Notwithstanding, there are a few cases in which you might not want to utilize a line graph.

For example, they're not very skillful at showing proportions. A stacked column chart or a pie chart would exist meliorate at that place.

And while they're good at showing change over time, a timeline might be improve represented by a Gantt nautical chart.

Go your FREE exercise file

If you'd like to follow forth and exercise making line charts, you candownload the free exercise file to follow along.

Utilize the aforementioned data we're using here to practice your skills!

BONUS: Download the Line GraphExercise File to go forth with this post.

Formatting data for line charts

Formatting your data for use in a line graph is very uncomplicated.

Put each category and the associated value on 1 line:

line-chart-data

We've put each value in a unlike column. You could also put them in carve up rows instead. Both piece of work equally well.
Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

You tin also use multiple data points for each category.

For example, nosotros've added projected sales along with actual sales hither:

line-chart-multiple-data

You can include as many unlike lines in a line chart as you want, simply we recommend keeping it to a handful at well-nigh.

More than that makes your graph much harder to read.

That'south all there is to information technology! Your data is probably organized similar this already, then let's move on.

How to make a line chart

Once your data is properly formatted, you can create your chart. It only takes a few clicks.

First,highlight the information yous want in the graph:

highlighted-line-data

And so, open theInsert tab in the Ribbon. In theCharts group, click theInsert Line or Expanse Chart Push button:

insert-line-chart

If you forget which push to click, just hover over the options. Excel will tell yous which one is which.
Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

From the resulting carte, click the2D line button:

insert-2d-line

When you click that, your line graph will appear!

line-chart

Editing line graphs

Excel'south default colors and design for line charts are nice, but at that place'due south a lot of customization yous can do to brand information technology look better.

The easiest way to exercise this is with chart styles.

Open theDesign tab in the Ribbon, and you'll see a number of available styles. Mouse over them to run across a preview:

line-chart-styles

Clicking any of these styles will immediately format your chart. Different styles include a diverseness of chart elements.

You can besides add private elements in theAdd together Nautical chart Elementmenu:

add-chart-element

In the epitome above, we've selected standard error bars.

line-chart-error-bars

Excel automatically calculates the standard mistake (or any is necessary for your chosen element) and inserts it into the graph.

Go on in listen that you can also remove elements through this carte du jour, besides.
Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Data tables, filigree lines, trend lines, centrality labels, and more tin exist found in this card. It should be your first stop when editing a line graph.

TheQuick Layout menu gives y'all a fast way to add and remove elements. Select one of the templates from the menu and you'll get a specific combination of elements:

quick-layout-line

You can as well quickly change the color palette with theModify Colors carte du jour. Select any color combination and your line chart will go a quick makeover:

change-colors-line

One of the nigh common things you'll want to exercise on your line graph is add markers.

Markers are the symbols (often circles) at each point on your line. Here's a set of circular markers:

circular-markers

To add or edit the markers on your line,correct-click the line in your chart and selectFormat Data Serial:

format-data-series

A console volition appear on the right side of the screen.

Click the paint can, thenclick "Mark."

format-marker

Open theMarker Options grouping, and selectBuilt-in. Then select the type and size.

marker-options

That's a lot of steps, but once you do it a couple times, information technology becomes easy.
Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Note that you tin can as well selectLine with Markers when you're creating the graph to get the markers in from the offset.

If y'all didn't select all the data y'all desire, or you added data to your set up, you tin can adjust the data included in your graph. ClickSelect Information in the Ribbon.

select-data-button-line

The resulting window will permit you blazon or click-and-elevate to select the data that should exist included in your graph.

select-data-line

Y'all can besides use this window to switch the rows and columns of your graph.

But at that place'due south a button correct in the Ribbon that does that for you, too:

switch-row-line

You can likewise use theMove Chart button to move your chart to an existing canvas or create a new one for it:

move-line-chart

This is especially useful, because near of the time you won't want your graph right on top of your data.
Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

In that location are more than design options in theFormat tab, too. We won't go over them here, considering they're self-explanatory.

If you want to modify colors or fonts, head to this tab and look around.

Creating multi-line charts

Making graphs with multiple lines is simply as piece of cake as creating unmarried-line graphs.

Organize your information so that each category has all the respective values in the same row or column:

line-chart-multiple-data

And then highlight your data and click the second Line push button.

multi-line-graph

From here, you can use all the aforementioned editing techniques tocustomize your multi-line chart.

An efficient way to nowadays data

A line graph might not seem like much—it'southward only a line, after all. But it can be a very powerful tool for presenting information!

Few charts are are simple every bit the line chart, just it can show a lot of data in a pocket-sized space.

And because nearly everyone is very familiar with this blazon of visual, you won't have to explain how it works.

It'south easy to underestimate the humble line graph, but give credit where it's due!
Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto